Selling a Small Business

1. Selling a Small Business and Succession Planning For a Small Business

2. Welcome • Agenda • Ground Rules • Introductions

3. Objectives • Change ownership of a business through selling, closing, or handing to a successor. • Establish an exit strategy for retirement including a succession plan, transfer of ownership, and taxes.

4. What Do You Know? What do you know or want to learn about selling a small business and succession planning?

5. Why Sell? • Business or Professional reasons include • An advantageous job offer from another company • A promising offer to buy your business or business assets • Sales and profits are not enough to meet your needs • Market or industry changes

6. Why Sell? • Some personal considerations include • Ready to retire • Burned out working for yourself • Personal issues such as health or family needs • Desire to go in a new direction

7. Discussion Point #1: Reasons for Selling the Business What is the main reason for selling your business?

8. Steps to Selling a Business

9. Determine If Business is Saleable • Strong profits • In an attractive industry • Potential buyers • Good assets • Quality inventory • Transfer to another person • Healthy balance sheet

10. Determine Your Price • Valuing the revenue stream • Net profit over time • Valuing the assets • Cash • Receivables • Inventory • Equipment • Real Estate

11. Prepare For Sale • Resolve Problems • Accounts receivable can be collected • Prepare financial statements • Provide business plan • Secure relationships • Sell old inventory • Office equipment is in good order • How will you be compensated

12. Look for Prospective Buyers • Employees • Customers • Business owners • Competitors

13. Negotiating the Deal • Qualifying your buyer • Lump sum versus installments • Non-compete clauses • Management assistance • Down payment • Collateral

14. Discussion Point #2: Challenges of Selling the Business What are some of the challenges of selling your business?

15. Closing a Business Steps for closing a business • Follow instructions in founding documents • Sell business assets • Cancel permits, licenses, lease agreements • Comply with federal income tax laws • Resolve outstanding issues with customers, creditors, and suppliers • Maintain records • Get professional help

16. Planning Succession A plan for someone to either own or run your business after you retire

17. Discussion Point #3: Benefits of Selecting a Successor What is the most important reason for selecting a successor?

18. Issues to Consider in Succession Planning • Start early • Identify successors • Train successors • Plan for tax exposure • Get legal advice

19. Planning Retirement

20. Retirement Plan Benefits • Employer contributions are tax-deductible. • Assets in the plan grow tax-free. • Flexible plan options are available. • A retirement plan can attract and retain better employees, reducing new employee training costs.

21. Employee Benefits • Reduce current taxable income • Not taxed until distributed • Easy to make through payroll deductions • Compounding interest over time • Retirement assets can be carried from one employer to another • Opportunity to improve financial security in retirement

22. Retirement Plans • Common Retirement Plans • SEP • SIMPLE • 401K • Make regular contributions • Get professional advise

23. Top Three Key Points to Remember • Plan for the possibility of selling and closing a business • Start making plans as soon as possible. • Create a retirement plan you and your employees

24. Conclusion • You learned about: • Reasons for selling and closing a business. • Steps for selling or closing a business • Steps for succession planning • Benefits and steps for creating a retirement plan.

25. Summary • What final questions do you have? • What have you learned? • How would you evaluate the training?